Ellen

How to trace and carve parallel lines? Celtic knots, for example. All lines should be of the same width. Even if tracing was successful, the chances that swivel knife will never leave the line seem small to me. Add tight round shapes, even 1/4" (6 mm) swivel knife blade as not much space for turns. Then, what use as a tool for accurate beveling and smoothing, some micro modeling tool? Assuming that the size of a knot is within 2" (5 cm). Have one to be born a genius for such work, or there are some techniques to do that for the rest of us? Thanks.

How do you alight properly a small alphabet stamps from Tandy? Either I became prejudiced, or they really are misaligned on their squares... Pure guess work from my side. Thanks.

Let's take as an example one of the works of Peter Main that was shown on Tandy website: a lot of thin straight and curved lines, all perfectly contained within their boundaries without overflow and inaccuracies. Or Celtic patterns. What technique, dyes, paints or inks, brushes allow to do that? I tried to dilute arts acrylics with airbrush medium, slow dry medium, still not good enough. Down to 10/0 fairly good synthetic brushes for acrylics. Flow is not good enough and hand is not rock steady. Same with F's Pro-oil dyes, they tend to overflow the borders. At larger scale, there is no problem, but starting from 1/8" (3 mm) and down it becomes more and more difficult. Any tips?

Yes, looks like the dyed dark edge can be solution for this problem. I appreciate your help, thank you!

Yes, this is kind of information what I was looking for. Lifetime of learning Thank you!

Just curious what could be used to make edge of the even color? Leather dependent, edges can came out looking layered, tan or brown produce all shades from light to dark withing each layer. It's really good if you like it, but is there any alternative for getting a solid edge color? I tried Edge Kote, Fiebing's edge stain with applicator, black or brown only, and they are still can see through. Anything else? Thanks.

I saw some posts with edge ink mentioned. What is it? Artist's acrylic ink from art supply store? Thanks.

After trying everything humanly possible with Fiebings's Leather Dyes (spirit dyes), switched to Fiebing's Pro-Oil dyes and completely happy with them. Both are for manual application (by dauber or just a piece of sponge in tweezers), but have a strong smell. Pro-Oil: Pros: - even coverage, - practically no excess of dye to remove after dyeing, - if you don't use a very old leather, no additional oiling is required - good main colors, and the red is a real red, not magenta. Cons: - very specific shades of colors, spirit dyes have better reddish browns, - even color. For splotched colors use spirit dyes. Spirit dyes: Pros: - last longer, better use them diluted to 1/3 of original strength by rubbing alcohol or methyl alcohol, - reddish browns variety, easily make edges one shade down(med brown for light brown, dark brown for med brown), - allow splotched application Cons: - hard to get an even color without dip dyeing, - make leather hard, better to oil leather before dyeing or apply conditioner like Lexol afterward, - much more rub-off to remove after dyeing. I have very limited experience with Eco-Flo dyes, but their browns look like weak version of F's spirit dyes, same uneveness. Finishes: See the holster maker how they use Resolene. Full strength for a flesh side, it holds fibers down; 75% in water soaks in better, less thick; more than one layer of 50% is more even. Tandy's Super Shene and Satin Shene are similar, but more liquid, easier to apply evenly with sponge, and allow mixes from shiny to almost matte. In any case you have to apply them in thin coats. You will see how the thick film of finish just lifts from your fingers. Holster makers use Kiwi neutral shoe polish over this finish for a softer feel and look.

Bruce, thank you so much! I'll try your method and will forget about Tandy-like edgers. Thank you all, very helpful! I found these polishing compounds, in both fine woodworking store and jewelry supply store. The last has much wider choice at comparable prices. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in general: - the bobbing (tan) compound is the coarsest, - next is grey, more dry, - next is brown Tripoli, for removing scratches, - then white diamond compound, also dry, less coarse, - green is polishing chrome oxide compound, particle size 0.5 micron. They also have hard and rock hard felt bobs. Woodworking store has 3M micron abrasive sheets, and recommend them for sharpening the insides of gauges. We'll see. I wonder, what else one have to learn for leatherworking

I'm using Gum Trag all the time, following Chuck Burrows recommendations. It gives a dark glossy edge for light shades of brown, unimpressive on black (black F's Pro-Oil in my case). Why use it at all: it keeps fibers down better that just dampening leather, and theoretically it wouldn't soften in hot weather. Moisture protection, IMHE, is next to none, have to use Resolene as a finish over it. Procedure: dye item, trim and sand edges, dye edges, let them dry, remove excess of dye, apply Gum Tragacanth by sponge, brush or anything else. Not too much, but after a minute surface shouldn't be dry. Smooth and press fibers in the direction of sanding few times, then burnish as usual. Moisture content during burnishing is critical: too much and shape will be distorted, too little - and there will be a ragged, cracked edge. Adding more Gum T in a process to keep edge damp is always possible. Comparing to wax or wax-paraffine mix, it's much easier to hand burnish. In the right moment, when moisture is just right, few passes with firm pressure will produce the required clicking sound and result glass-like appearance. If the leather is firm, not mushy. I hate to wreck this appearance by applying Resolene, but wouldn't risk to leave it unfinished. 75% Resolene, brushed on, is better (more even) than full strength. The finishing abilities of any finish I prefer to check by myself, finishing a scrap of leather, letting it dry overnight, and dropping some water over it.

This is the best what could be possibly said about it, thank you very much!

Thank you all. Who can add more on sharpening, not polishing? Not on staying sharp, but making it sharp, for future stropping. The stroping compounds I saw and tried - white and green - are fine, they do not make the old dull tool sharp. Weaver is wholesale only, it uses aluminum oxide in wax as a rouge, who knows how fine it is. I tried wet-dry sandpaper over the rod and only made it worse. Counting that I'm able to sharpen a knife very well.

What do you use to make a darker edge of the leather dyed by Fiebing's Pro-Oil dyes? With their spirit dyes it's simpler: for light brown use medium brown, for medium brown use dark brown. Pro-Oil dyes are distinctive colors on their own, with maybe incompatible shades. For example, what should be used for Saddle Tan dyed item, or Light brown, or Mahogany? Thanks.

I saw another post about using Renaissance wax over acrylic finish, either Super Sheen or Resolene, for a soft shine and supple, not plastic, feeling while preserving moisture protection that acrylic finishes provide. And about using the neutral Kiwi shoe polish over Resolene finished holsters. How this this affects the original finish in a long run? Thanks.

Kevin, where they sell the rough rouge? Online or in stores in Canada.

I have a family member annoyed by "no choice" mass produced slippers: all of them have a completely flat sole. I would like to help by making them from leather or any other readily available material, but do not know how. All I could find is how to make plain shuffles (sandals without back). On the other hand, some of the ethnic shoes have toe area shaped up (tri-part constriction, not oval with holes at perimeter and a string). Can you tell how to do that, what could be used as a not slippery water-resistant sole, and what cushioning can be added? Thank you.

This is a common problem with hard to find on the Internet solution: how to sharpen different types of edgers (edge bevelers), when stroping with rouge no longer works. Some of us get already dull or old tools that need serious sharpening. If it was answered, please post a link. I did the search. Books for reference: Leathercraft Tools by Al Stohlman, General Leathercraft by Raymond Cherry. But how do you do it? 1. Common edger, old Osborne, rounded between "toes". Requires dowel of slightly smaller diameter to be covered by wet-dry sandpaper 400-600 grit, followed by more fine sandpaper (2000 grit in auto store, and micron grit from fine woodworking stores). Pitfalls: I have seen use of needle file covered by fine sandpaper, that eventually made a widening between "toes", edger became two sizes larger and not usable anymore for the leather at hand. Better not to keep sharpening dowel in the hands, angle constantly changes, and place it on the table. 2. Round bottom edger, end bent up. Tubing or rod based (with or without hole inside). Example: Rampart Tools. In "Sharpening Round Edge Edgers" was recommended the use of the slighter smaller diameter rod, placed on the table, covered by wet-dry 600 grit sandpaper. Pitfalls: Tried with dry paper, it tends to make a bell shape instead of round. Working keeping both in hands changes angle constantly, not good. And how to work without flattening curve of the tool itself, rocking back and forward? Hand tends to change direction all the time. 3. Thin leather edger, short end bent up, triangle opening. Sharpening from the top. Using fine triangle needle file, covered with sandpaper is difficult because of curved end. And how to sharpen it without increasing the size? Another variety of thin leather edger has slow graceful curve, with triangle profile groove along all length of the tool. How to work with its sharpening? 4. Tandy edger, the simper one. Square narrow opening, what to use? Help, if you can. Please. Thanks.

I'm in the same boat: the edgers need a good sharpening, not just stroping. Depending on type of edger, the different sharpening may be needed. I have seen a common edger (Osborne, not Tandy type) ruined by using sandpaper over needle file instead of over dowel of proper diameter - file fits between the "toes" and widens the gap, making this edger two sizes bigger. Some use Dremel with fine bit instead of leather with rouge, other use rough cutting rouge. I don't know where to get it. The fine polishing rouge is more available. Other forum posted this link (pdf) on how to work with Dremel, looks like Verlane in address. Keen edger, I don't have it, seems like as a round bottom edger. Use the rod of a slightly smaller diameter is covered by grey wet-dry 600 grit sandpaper. I would moisten sandpaper, otherwise you risk to make a bell shape with wide edges. Then more fine sandpaper, up to 4000 and then rouge for polishing. I have seen advice to find the sharpening stone of the size and shape of the edger, tried, this is just not possible.

Looks like low curvature veiner to me, it has some pattern as veiners have. Take a look at Tandy website, stamps, veiners. One of the Western carving stamps, for making veins on stems and leaves. Or borders on anything else.

The shape and intended use. 1. The first one is flat with long "toes" bent up, I find edgers like this more suitable for a thick flat work without small radius curves. On thin leather you will need to place the leather at the edge of the table to use this edger, it's too wide. For medium thin leather the edgers with less wide toes are made. Very old Osborne common edgers are more bent up and have more rounded tips of toes, I like them better than one on this photo. 2. The second shot was made at not the best angle. Looks like round bottom edger to me, my preferred tool for medium thick leather. They round edge nicely, although the common edgers also may have the rounded, much wider groove on the bottom and work well. Round edgers are bent at lesser angle, with round groove at the bottom. Different makers make them more or less bent, with longer or shorter "toes". With short toes are better for tight curves. Common edger are much easier to sharpen than the round bottom edger. Sharpen, not just strop.

Sounds very reasonable, thank you both!

I have seen here a fold over pouch sheaths, tooled or with crease around mouth, and can't wrap my head around the process: Tutorials say that all tooling and creasing are done after cutting pattern from leather, when it's flat. Then dampen the leather and fold it over the knife, let it dry before gluing, stitching and dyeing. But if tooling is done not only at front or back, but all over, and crease goes from front to the back and to the loop, wetting (or dampening with mist) and bending thick leather will flatten and distort the tooling and crease. I can imagine the same with making book or album cover, or a stiff tooled bag without separate bottom. Is it the master's proprietary invention, or there is some standard operational procedure for this?

Try at different angle, more vertical, and what will work better for you - pull or push. Any uncontrollable application of force instead of even firm pressure, while hand with roller slides along supported by pinkie finger, and your work may be ruined. If you can hand burnish edges or do the tooling, you can use embossing wheel. If you have a book by Raymond Cherry, if memory serves, it has a photo how to apply the smaller wheels (like rope), along the plastic shape to make a nice round embossed line. Larger wheels require more pressure, but it's more a matter of angle of application and pull-or-push than the force applied. At least it is so for me.

For a leather of this thickness some drill stitching holes using drill press or Dremel drill press. Others, if you have Valery Michaels book, use fine sharp 4-8 tooth chisels and mallet to punch holes before start sewing with diamond shaped awl. UK-made chzels in this book are much finer than what Tandy has. Somewhere here is thread about sewing with drill press, they use flat Tippman Boss machine to make holes. Something that creates enough pressure (press of mallet), and a very sharp object. With awl blade watch for its flexing while it goes through the leather. If the leather is firm, or hardened, of became very stiff after spirit dye without oil, it may happen.

I know only Fiebing's Edge Applicator, it has what looks like fabric covered sponge in the bottle neck. When you tun bottle upside down, sponge becomes wet and then you apply it by moving it along your edge. If the edge is smooth and burnished, and you have a steady hand and a good eye-hand coordination, it can be fairly smooth. But I'm not happy with it. I would prefer that this edge stain or enamel would be more dense, with better covering capacity. I bought mine long time ago, maybe they changed formulation since then. There is also the Fiebing's Dura Edge, but I didn't try it yet. I prefer to dye edges. If you use not dauber but something more cut to size and dense, like piece of felt, and it is not dripping wet with dye, multiple accurate applications work for me. Not on saddle, smaller items.